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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · wake · ruler · bowl · cold · charge

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — a price
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. charge — in control
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com